The day my ICP filing came through, I had AI move my website onto a server. I didn't write a single line of code during the whole process. I only did the few things I had to do myself; AI did the rest, and it was finished in an afternoon. Below is the process exactly as it happened, so you can follow along.

1. What I used (other providers work the same way)

2. Before you start, make sure you have these 4 things

1. The website opens on your own computer, and you're happy with the content
2. The server is bought, and you know its public IP and login password (visible, and resettable, in the cloud server console)
3. The domain is bought, and its real-name verification has passed
4. The ICP filing has been approved, and you have the filing number

3. You do 5 things; AI does the rest

Why these 5 must be done by you: passwords, console settings and account operations are your identity and your money, and shouldn't be handed to AI. However well AI does, whether it counts is for you to check.

4. 10 steps

Each step includes "what to say to AI". You can copy it directly; just replace the domain with your own.

Step 1: Have AI survey the situation first

My website is going live. The domain is ××××.com and the ICP filing has been approved. The server is on Alibaba Cloud and its public IP is ×××. First check the current state of the server and the domain, tell me what is still missing, and don't change anything yet.

AI will check whether it can connect to the server, whether the domain points to the server, and which ports are open. It will list what it will do and what you need to do.

Step 2: Set up a "key" so you no longer log in with a password

Set up passwordless login from this computer to the server, user root, with a name that's easy to remember.

AI will generate a key on your computer and give you a command. Paste the command into the terminal and run it. When it asks for a password, enter the server password and press Enter. This is the only time in the whole process you enter a password.

Why do it this way: you don't tell AI the password; AI works with the key. In the last step, password login is turned off, so even if someone guesses the password they can't get in.

Step 3: Install the website software on the server

Install Nginx on the server, make it start on boot, and test that it works after installing.

Think of Nginx as the "clerk" on the server: when someone visits, it hands them the web page. AI will test it after installing; "200 OK" means it worked.

Step 4: Move the pages onto the server

Regenerate the website, check that everything is fine, then upload it to the server. Store each upload as a separate version and keep the old versions.

I had AI store every upload as a new version and keep the old ones. If something breaks later, one sentence rolls it back to the previous version.

Step 5: Tell the server "when someone visits this domain, show them this website"

Write an Nginx configuration for ××××.com pointing to the pages just uploaded. Test the configuration before applying it, and restore the original if the test fails.

After writing it, AI will test on the server what the home page, an article page and a non-existent page each return.

Step 6: Open the doors and put up the address (you do these two)

Open the doors: in the cloud server console, find your server, go to "Security groups", and add two rules under "Inbound":

• Port 80, source 0.0.0.0/0
• Port 443, source 0.0.0.0/0

On lightweight servers this feature is called "Firewall", and it works the same way.

Put up the address: in the domain console, find "DNS" and add two records:

Don't touch existing records (such as those for company email). When done, tell AI:

The security group and DNS are both set up. Check from outside whether the website opens.

Step 7: Put a lock on the website (HTTPS)

Request a free HTTPS certificate, then redirect all http and www addresses to https://××××.com.

AI will ask you two things: whether you agree to the certificate authority's (Let’s Encrypt) terms of service, and which email to use for reminders. Just agree. The certificate is free, lasts three months, and renews automatically before it expires, so you don't have to deal with it. Once done, a small lock appears in the browser address bar.

Step 8: Put the ICP filing number at the bottom of the pages

My ICP filing number is ××ICP备××××号-1. Put it at the bottom of the website, linking to the MIIT filing lookup site.

There is also a public security filing: within 30 days of the website opening, apply on the "National Internet Security Management Service Platform" (beian.mps.gov.cn). Once you have the number, have AI put it at the bottom of the pages as well.

Step 9: Make the contact form actually work

Deploy the contact form backend too, then submit a test message from outside and see whether my mailbox receives it. Once it arrives, delete the test message.

Pages loading doesn't mean messages arrive. Always actually submit one and check whether your mailbox gets it. This time, it only counted for me once the email arrived.

Step 10: Wrap up, so things stay easy

Please finish these: turn off password login on the server; back up the message data automatically every day; do a dry run of certificate renewal; create a one-command website update, and a one-command rollback to the previous version.

After that, whenever you change the website content, just tell AI "push the changes to the website"; if something breaks, say "roll back to the previous version".

5. Pitfalls I hit, so you can avoid them

1. A proxy app was running on my computer, so AI saw fake results

I had a proxy app running (the kind people in China use to reach overseas sites). When AI checked whether the domain pointed to the server, it got a fake address from the proxy app, and I almost thought the DNS was broken. If you also run a proxy, tell AI in advance, or have it check again another way.

2. I thought the DNS records were added, but they weren't

I said the DNS records were in place; AI checked and found none. The reason: I had done it on another computer and not added them in the right place. After adding DNS records, always have AI check from outside, and don't trust "I remember adding them".

3. The ICP number was missing the "-1"

The filing system has two numbers: one for you (the person or company) and one for the website. The website's number is the first number with "-1" added at the end. The one at the bottom of the pages must be the website's number.

4. The connection to the server kept dropping

AI's connection to the server sometimes worked and sometimes got cut off. This is a network problem, not a broken server. Just have AI automatically retry a few times when it fails.

5. When requesting the certificate, AI seemed stuck for several minutes

In the certificate renewal dry run, AI waited six or seven minutes for a result. The certificate tool deliberately waits a random amount of time; this is normal, so just be patient.

6. An old image I no longer used was still on the website

When generating pages locally, old files may be left behind and uploaded along with everything else. Before uploading, have AI clear out the old build output and generate everything fresh.

7. When AI says "done", look again yourself

After each step, I had AI visit from outside and check the server logs, to confirm that people outside really could open it. At the end I also opened it myself on my phone's mobile data.

6. After going live, check these 5 things yourself

1. On mobile data (not your home Wi-Fi), open https://your-domain: it opens, and there's a lock in the address bar
2. Typing http://your-domain and www.your-domain both redirect automatically to https://your-domain
3. The ICP filing number is at the very bottom of the page, and clicking it opens the MIIT website
4. Leave a message on the contact page, and your mailbox receives it
5. Type any address that doesn't exist, and you see the website's own "page not found", not a blank page or an error

If all 5 pass, your website is truly online. If you get stuck while following along, feel free to contact me through the website.

Step 1: Find a target website you like

Find a website you think is good. If you look at it and think, "If the content were my products, I'd be happy with this," that's the one.

Step 2: Buy everything you need to open shop

Buy a domain (your website's street address) and a server (like renting a storefront) on Alibaba Cloud, then submit the ICP filing. If you don't understand this part, don't struggle alone: take a screenshot and ask DeepSeek, "What's the next step?" It will walk you through it.

Step 3: Put WorkBuddy to work

• Download an AI tool called WorkBuddy and create a new project.
• Give it the project background: "I want to clone the features of such-and-such website, replace all the content with my own, as close to 1:1 as possible."
• In the chat box, type: "Analyze this target website to prepare for cloning it."

Step 4: Build it on your own computer and change it until you're happy

Once the analysis is done, give it your domain, server and company email details, and let it start building on your computer. When it's built, you can see the result right on your computer. Whatever you don't like, just tell it, and keep changing until you're happy.

Step 5: Go live in one step

Once the ICP filing is approved, tell the AI assistant "We can go live now", and it will move the finished website onto your server. Your website is then officially open for business.

If you get stuck while following along, feel free to contact me through the website, and I'll do my best to help.

Many website services on the market are a rip-off

Rather than paying a lot for a dead site you can't change, get in there yourself and understand the underlying logic.

Once you understand the underlying logic, anyone can do it

This method isn't only for building websites. It also puts your traffic, content and SEO in your own hands. I will simplify the method so that anyone can swap content and features.

Pitfall 1: Thinking that once it's written, it's done (the one that almost fooled me)

At the time, the site opened beautifully on my own computer, and I thought: that's it, done. Then I opened it again the next day, and the website was gone.

Only later did I understand: the website had only ever lived on my own computer. However nicely you decorate your own home, guests can't get in. You have to rent a storefront (a server), put up a street address (a domain), and complete the paperwork (the ICP filing) before the shop is really open. Until this step is done, however good the rest looks, you're only impressing yourself.

Pitfall 2: Wanting everything at the start

My initial requirements were "flashy animations, trendy colors, every feature." The AI didn't know where to begin, the result was a mess, and I couldn't even say what was wrong.

Later I realized: for a B2B export site, "it opens, it's easy to understand, and people can reach you" matters ten thousand times more than any bells and whistles. If overseas clients swipe twice on their phone and can't find your product information, they swipe away. Do a little less, and do it right.

Pitfall 3: Forgetting to feed AI the "right answers"

You think AI knows everything? It doesn't.

It doesn't know how many years your factory has been running, how large your capacity is, what certifications you have that others don't, or how many days shipping takes. If you don't spell these out, it can only make things up, and when made-up content goes on your website, long-time clients can tell at a glance that it isn't real.

Saying things plainly matters more than saying them nicely. Treat it like training a new salesperson: tell them what to say.

Pitfall 4: Thinking "it runs" means "others can open it"

This is the one I fell into deepest. On my own computer, everything looked normal. But when I asked a friend abroad to look, it simply wouldn't open for them.

The reason: on your own computer you're looking at "your home copy," while others access "the public copy." They are two different things. Like tasting a dish at home and finding it great doesn't mean it's ready to serve to guests.

After every step, check it again in a different way: open it on another computer, on another network, send it to a friend. Don't just trust the version on your own screen.

Pitfall 5: Waiting too long on paperwork and losing your rhythm

The ICP filing takes Alibaba Cloud quite a few days to review. If you just sit and wait, nothing gets done.

What I do now: as soon as it's submitted, start on the next thing right away: write product information, take product photos, set up the inquiry mailbox. When the approval comes, go live immediately, without wasting a week in between.

Pitfall 6: Misconfigured email, so client emails vanish

The website is done, but you never receive the inquiry emails clients send. Why? The receiving mailbox wasn't set up properly, or the mail was blocked as spam.

This one does real damage: you are handing clients to your competitors for free. And you have no idea, because on their side it just looks like you "couldn't be bothered to reply."

Before going live, always do a real test: send yourself an email from your phone, and confirm it arrives and that you can reply. It takes three minutes and can save an order.

Pitfall 7: AI says "I've added it" when it hasn't

This is the most infuriating one. You clearly asked it to add a feature, it replied "done," and the page doesn't have it at all.

The reason is simple: when AI says "done," it means it thinks it has finished writing, not that it actually works. Like an apprentice saying "I've painted the wall" when only half is painted.

My habit: it only counts once I've clicked through it myself. When AI says it's done, open it, click through it, and only move on if it's fine.

The 7 pitfalls come down to one sentence

AI is a capable assistant, but it is not your eyes, and it is not your store manager. It can do the work, but whether the work is right is always for you to confirm.

If you get stuck, don't struggle alone: take a screenshot and ask AI, and it will walk you through it. If you still can't figure it out, leave me a message on my website, and I'll do my best to help.

I recently bought a domain: mingjunzhu.com.

After buying it, I wanted an email address on it. The reason is simple: an address ending in your own domain looks more like something proper that belongs to you. When I leave contact details from now on, zhumingjun@mingjunzhu.com is a better fit than a personal mailbox.

I chose the free edition of Alibaba Cloud Enterprise Mail. The email service itself is free; buying the domain costs money. The whole process was done with help from DeepSeek.

Setup

1. Activate the mailbox

After activating the free edition of Alibaba Cloud Enterprise Mail, I got a few basic details:

• Region: China East 1 (Hangzhou), mainland China site
• Mail address: https://qiye.aliyun.com
• Admin account: postmaster@ my domain
• Free edition limits: 50 users, 250 GB total storage, 2 GB company drive

2. Point the domain

After logging in to the mail admin console, I saw "DNS status: not in effect".

I clicked "Set up DNS". The system said the domain uses Alibaba Cloud (Wanwang) DNS and that mail DNS records needed to be set up. I then clicked "One-click add mail DNS records".

The system said DNS records usually take effect within 10 minutes. There was also a warning on the page: the DNS records must be set up and take effect within 7 days, or the system will reclaim the mail domain.

After waiting about 10 minutes, I clicked "Refresh status", and it turned green: "DNS in effect".

3. Test sending and receiving

After setting the initial admin password, I logged in to https://qiye.aliyun.com.

I sent an email to my personal mailbox, replied from there, and the reply arrived in the Alibaba mailbox. External sending and receiving worked.

4. Create a staff account

In the admin console, the path is: Users and Groups > Users > New account.

I created the staff account zhumingjun@mingjunzhu.com under the name Mingjun Zhu.

5. Set up the iPhone's built-in Mail app

When setting it up on the iPhone, I hit a problem: verification kept failing.

After some digging, I found that the "Block third-party clients" option under "Access policy" in the admin console was turned on. After turning it off, the iPhone setup succeeded.

The settings:

I could not find a "third-party client password" option in the free edition console, so this time I used the main mailbox password.

Result

• DNS records in effect
• Admin account sends and receives external mail normally
• iPhone built-in Mail set up and working

Confirmed: the mailbox works.

A few takeaways

1. The free edition of Alibaba Cloud Enterprise Mail can be used to set up email on a personal domain. The email service costs nothing; buying the domain does.
2. "One-click add mail DNS records" sets up DNS automatically, so you don't have to enter records one by one.
3. If the iPhone's built-in Mail keeps failing verification, first check whether "Access policy" in the console blocks third-party clients.
4. I'm not doing anything about the free edition expiring for now; I'll deal with it then. I'm not creating other staff accounts for now either.

Notes

• This is a record of my own practice; the setup was done with help from DeepSeek.
• The server settings come from Alibaba Cloud's official configuration guide, not from my own testing.
• Admin accounts, passwords and similar details have been removed.

When building this personal digital space, I deliberately gave up complex dynamic rendering and used plain semantic HTML with a flat knowledge network, so AI crawlers can understand the content hierarchy without friction.

The results show that on highly structured tasks, the agent completes almost everything; but when ambiguous meaning and jumps in context are involved, it still needs a human. We still have some way to go before a true "digital twin".

This is not just an efficiency gain. It is the point where a digital system starts to have the judgment for a "first pass".